Kate and Joey like you’ve never heard them before! 18 years together, running Mr. Kate and two kids later, we still have so much to talk about including keeping the spark alive with what…choremance?!, comparing our wildly different algorithms and what’s in them and sharing what we’ve been dm’ing each other lately. Kate names her Creative Spark of the week, taking inspiration from the analogue bag trend but putting it on wheels. Creative Weirdos call in to our phone line, questions ensue (worst DIY? Biggest insecurity?), and Kate’s sister joins us to dive into the world of dark-romantasy books and we discuss our love of MM books (yes, including Heated Rivalry), Romantasy and well..other ahem, things like scaring Joey with the plot of Morning Glory Milking Farm.
This week we cuddle up and get chatty about how to stop your kid from swearing when, honestly, it’s kind of hilarious. Kate gets real about her creative crash outs, and we take your call-ins on Waldorf school and Taking Five — the movie we met filming that now feels like a total fever dream. Tess joins us to unpack her current dating strategy and the spicy books she and Kate are devouring… while Joey passionately defends his very “respectable” slow-burn reads.
This week’s rug ramblings jump from raising emotionally healthy boys to defending co-sleeping to discovering the internet is rating Joey’s feet. Kate flips through the “journal ecosystem” that keeps her productive, fuels her creativity, supports her mental health, and yes, includes cute charms. We also have a breakthrough moment when Joey finally understands why BookTok loves spicy romantasy novels, thanks to a study comparing romantasy fandom to professional sports fandom psychology.
This week, we revisit the decisions that changed everything — from starting a YouTube channel when no one took it seriously to Tess walking away from her engagement (3 rings later!?) We unpack what sixteen years online has really meant: growing older on camera, deciding how much of our lives (and our kids’ lives) to share, facing imposter syndrome, and pushing back against algorithms and AI with creativity and real community. We’re also officially over boring bathrooms — and yes, Joey grabbed an Amelia Bedelia boxed set as his weapon of choice.
This week, Joey had a full girl-dad existential spiral after realizing he can’t actually protect our daughter from the male gaze, which turned into a larger parenting conversation about raising our kids to create systemic change. We also answer a listener question about Kate’s uncanny ability to design spaces that feel perfectly personal: design intuition, empathy, or maybe some inherited psychic abilities. Plus, we dive into the Fourth Wing series and other romantasy books Joey has read, and Kate shares the moment she channeled some serious Fire Horse energy to confront someone who crossed a boundary. Leave us a comment — yay or nay on ponytails for men?
In this episode, we’re romanticizing not sticking to traditional timelines and having kids later in life. We talk with Tess about freezing her eggs and why there’s no single right schedule for starting a family… though Kate did have to draw the line at Joey’s idea of having a surrogate baby at 60.Then we get into small ways to romanticize your everyday life, including an internet challenge that might make you blush that showcases men as a sensory experience… and how that somehow led to Kate saying she wishes she could be a gay man.
This week, we’re talking about what it means to be YouTubers raising kids in a screen-free home, the tensions of working online while limiting screens offline, and how we try to stay on the creating-not-consuming side of technology. Plus, a very special guest (MY DAD) with firsthand experience raising a screen-free kid (ME!!) weighs in. We also get into creative resilience - why getting better can sometimes feel like failing, and why pushing through that feeling matters if you want to make anything meaningful over time. Along the way, we question the shift away from a 13-month calendar, talk periods, share a few DIY ways to bring new life to the art you already own, and ask one very important question: do men actually spend more time on the toilet?
This week we’re sharing what we’ve learned the hard way from our four-year renovationship with our dream home (that Joey admits he might have ruined)… including what we’ve learned about when DIYing makes sense vs when it’s worth calling in the pros. Plus we’re diving into matrescence—the wild identity shift that comes with becoming a parent—along with brand bibles and our packing habits. Talk Dirty with Tess gets unexpectedly wholesome as we dive into our love for the Plated Prisonerseries—and the best advice Kate’s ever given her.
In this episode, we get into the personality differences that cause most of our arguments—but also make us who we are. Kate opens up about what it’s like being a highly sensitive person, while Joey cannot wrap his head around why someone hasn’t invented a female urinal to fix long bathroom lines. We also give a shoutout to the Staples Baddie for fully embodying the creative weirdo spirit, and on our spring break trip, Joey decides to take Tess’s love life into his own hands—turning the podcast into a search for eligible bachelors to call in. Ladies—be honest… would you try Joey’s no-stall bathroom design?
In this episode, we’re diving into the art of thrifting—as designers who furnished nearly our entire first apartment secondhand and now source one-of-a-kind vintage gems for our makeover videos. As we enter a thrifting golden era, we’re breaking down how to spot what’s actually worth grabbing, plus the unexpected items most people overlook (but make incredible kids' toys or gifts). What are your favorite items to thrift? Comment below! We also get into Emma Chamberlain's line with West Elm, along with answering a listener call-in about designing her dorm (or any small, renter-friendly space) with character. And stick around to hear the crazy lore Joey uncovered about Lone Fox's new vintage store and Tess’s bad Raya date that she went on for granny.
You may have seen our viral outdoor shower transformation looking stunning on social media… and in this episode, we’re spilling the realiTEA of that project—including why Joey still showers in his boxers. We talk about everything from diets (we’ve truly tried them all), to turning your kids’ handwriting into custom fonts (credit to Sydni Moran), to Harry Potter fan fiction, and even a criminal who might be a perfect match for Tess. Speaking of Tess, her dating life takes an exciting new turn thanks to the podcast! Plus, a Harry Potter actor has bought from Mr. Kate—and Tess has a run-in with a celebrity… in his boxers?!
In this episode, we’re racing to finish our guest house before visitors arrive but an unexpected (and very unwanted) guest—mold—might just change everything. A caller sparks a conversation about the feng shui and Kate shares the rules she swears by to make a space feel as good as it looks—but things take a turn when Joey starts questioning her about the Somavedic under their bed… Meanwhile, Kate calls Joey out for not being the dating expert he claims to be, sharing a story from a movie they worked on together—where he somehow flew out a girl he wasn’t even that into… after starting a fling with someone from the costume department instead. Plus, we dive into family compounds—why they’re suddenly having a moment—get into books we had to DNF, and unpack the unexpected curveball Joey is currently reading.
In this episode, we push back on the status quo—from building a custom family bed to co-sleeping work, to Kate opening up about what she’s stopped doing to please society (like shaving) and fully embracing aging, to be an example for our daughter. Tess might not have met her match from the podcast, but it did spark a fun night out with longtime friends—also single and ready to mingle—and led to a debate about “catching print”… which, surprisingly, has nothing to do with interior design. We also share the books we think should be required reading for every adult—Joey picks Leadership and Self-Deception and Kate goes with Brave New World. On the other side of the spectrum, our dark romantsy latest obsession is Chrysalis by B.B Reid.
Joey kicks things off poking fun at Kate’s witchy era, which thanks to WitchTok has only gotten stronger… but after an astrology reading hits a little too close to home, he’s suddenly shouting from the rooftops that after 7 years, he’s finally out of Uranus. We also get into our experience trying elimination communication, aka “diaper witchcraft,” while potty training our newborn, Kate shares one of her favorite analog activities lately: handing Moon a screen-free retro film-style camera to explore with. It captures all the nostalgic magic of a disposable camera, but without the wait to get the photos developed. We laugh about Kate’s cameo in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement still following her everywhere online, including the completely unscripted accent behind her iconic line. Tess reveals a shocking DNF, and we spiral into the dream of creating a TV show where we remodel homes in all 50 states… Netflix call us!
Warning: this one's a tearjerker. We open up about something that weighed heavy on us: motherhood costing us a business opportunity. Knowing this happens to women all the time is exactly why we choose to walk away. Which got us talking about how women have spent years trying to fit into systems made for men, when science is only just now catching up to how differently we're actually wired. And maybe the answer we're looking for can be found in bees? We also share our survival tips for getting through the newborn stage, plus a delightfully whimsical creative spark that brings magic to an everyday task. Tess may have gotten dumped on the pod, but thanks to a friend hijacking her Hinge she's got a date with Fae — while Joey wishes it was at 7/11, he’ll settle for her agreeing not to mention that she’s currently reading a Peter Pan romantasy book.
A girl's hypersensitive guide to living in a world that's stacked against your nervous system. For Kate, that looked like years of debilitating chronic migraines. After trying just about everything, in true Mr.Kate fashion, she made her own solution and is so excited to share her midnight stretching ritual with all of you on the Rug Cuddle Instagram. And because overwhelm doesn't stop at the nervous system — you know that feeling when you open Pinterest for "just a little inspiration" and three hours later you're feeling overwhelmed, defeated, and somehow further from a decision than when you started? Dr. Kate has a prescription for that. It's called the Pinterest barf, and she walks you through her full step-by-step method for going from chaotic inspiration to a clear design direction without losing your mind. And then there's Tess, navigating the equally overwhelming world of dating — and how she may have accidentally gotten a little drunk on her Hinge date and ended up inviting...